Changes have been made to immigration instructions to update the list of Qualifications Eligible for a Post-Study Work Visa.
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Changes have been made to immigration instructions to clarify the stand-down period for certain Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT) supported foreign students. Minor changes are also proposed to confirm that Education New Zealand (ENZ) has taken over administration of certain scholarships. Further changes are outlined below:
Immigration Minister Hon Michael Wood yesterday announced measures to attract more high-skilled workers to New Zealand including:
Green List additions Additions to the Green List and a review in 2023 will help address workforce needs. Eligible migrants employed overseas or in New Zealand in Straight to Residence (StR) Green List roles may apply for residence. Eligible migrants employed in Work to Residence (WtR) Green List roles may apply for residence after two years. Employers and applicants applying for a job check or Accredited Employer Work Visa will need to use the following ANZSCO code: Specialist Physicians nec (253399). From 15 December 2022
From March 2023
Employer accreditation Validity of AEWV accreditation will be extended by 12 months for employers who have applied or will apply before 4 July 2023. In May 2022, the Government announced that any employer seeking to hire any migrant, including those with open work rights (such as working holidaymakers or students), would need to be accredited in 2023. That accreditation requirement has been deferred to 2024, allowing employers more time to prepare. More detailed information on the employer accreditation extension will be made available next year. Post Study Work Visas The Minister of Immigration has agreed to grant 12-month open work visas to those who held a Post Study Work Visa but were unable to enter New Zealand, or had to leave early due to the closure of the border in March 2020. Family of the visa holder may apply for relationship-based visas, including open work visas for partners, visitor visas, and student visas for children. Those granted a student visa will pay only domestic study fees. Those eligible will be contacted by Immigration New Zealand in 2023. Helping critical workers remain in their current role Critical Purpose Visitor Visa (CPVV) holders in New Zealand who want to remain in their role after their visa expires will be able to apply for a Specific Purpose Work Visa (SPWV) from 15 December 2022. This will ensure critical workers get the full three years that they would have under Accredited Employer Work Visa or Essential Skills before a further labour market test. How to apply The SPWV application process for CPVV holders will be streamlined. To be eligible, the CPVV holder must:
More information here. Visa details The SPWV will allow critical workers to remain in their current role for up to three years from the start date of their CPVV. The fee for SPWV applicants is NZD $735. Family Family of the visa holder may apply for relationship-based visas, including open work visas for partners, visitor visas and student visas for children. School-aged children granted a student visa will pay only domestic study fees. Partners of those granted an SPWV will be able to apply for a Partner of a Worker Work Visa. Changes have been made to the Active Investor Plus visa category, which include:
Changes have been made to immigration instructions to enable long-term critical workers to be granted a Specific Purpose work visa to remain in their current role for up to three years.
This change applies to:
This change is effective on and after 15 December 2022. Changes have been made to immigration instructions to introduce targeted travel bans on specific individuals associated with human rights violations in Iran.
These changes are effective from 7 December 2022. The Minister of Immigration announced that planned changes for the visa requirements of partners of temporary work visa holders have been deferred to April 2023.
These changes were initially set to come into effect in December 2022. The Government recognises that there is a need to ensure partners are only entering higher skilled jobs. However, they want to provide certainty for migrant partners of their ability to work in New Zealand and a streamlined process for entering high skilled roles. The Government will be looking at some adjustments to the way partner work rights will be implemented to reflect some of the feedback received from stakeholders. More information on this will be announced in the New Year. Source: Immigration New Zealand website Job changes: Accredited Employer Work Visa and Other Work Visa holdersAEWV Job Changes
From today (5 December) Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV) holders can apply to change their employer, occupation, location, or a combination of these. Employers hiring AEWV holders need to be accredited and have a valid job check. For AEWV, you can apply for a Job Change to change your employer, job, location, or a combination of these. Your employer must be accredited to hire migrants for the AEWV and have a valid job check for your new job. You will need the job check approval number for your application. If you want to change to a job paid below the median wage, it must be exempt from paying the median wage. Your current visa must also be valid for no longer than the maximum visa length allowed for roles paid below the median wage. You must apply for a new AEWV if your current visa is valid for longer than the time allowed. Varying conditions of other work visas From today, Essential Skills visa holders can also apply to change to any occupation or location. Previously, Essential Skills visa holders were only able to change occupation or location if their new job was on the Essential Skills in Demand List. You can apply to change your employer, job, location, or a combination of these. If you are changing your job or location, your employer must:
During your application, you will need to upload a letter from your employer. In the letter they must declare they could not find suitable or available New Zealanders for the job. Your employer does not need to advertise your new job, and you do not need to upload a letter, if the role is:
Finding your visa conditions Your conditions are recorded in your eVisa, on the visa label in your passport, or explained to you in a letter INZ sent you. Conditions you can change If your work visa comes with conditions you can apply to change:
You want to change job, employer or location If your work visa lets you work in any job, for any employer and in any location, you do not need to apply for a variation of conditions or a Job Change. Before you apply If you are changing your job, employer or the location where you work, you need to include in your application:
The 2021 Resident Visa (2021RV) application period has been an exciting one for those who want to live in New Zealand. As per the General Manager of Border and Visa Operations Nicola Hogg, around 65% of 2021 Resident Visa (2021RV) applications have been processed since the category first opened on 1 December 2021.
This means 123,000 individuals from different countries (from 67,760 applications) can now live and stay in NZ as residents and INZ is expecting to continue processing thousands more by June 2023. The extended processing timeframe – from 12 to 18 months – has made reunification with loved ones difficult and that was why INZ recently announced a change that allowed 2021RV interim visa holders the opportunity to travel overseas. This included up to 3,000 visa holders who could submit requests for the grant of a new visa that allowed them to travel overseas without having their interim visa expire. The response from people eligible for this change has been significant; with over 300 requests submitted since its announcement. Challenges caused by the pandemic have presented many barriers, and this small change makes an incredible difference to those affected. They also established an escalation process for 2021 Resident Visa applications so that they can prioritize applicants who are currently separated from their offshore partner and/or dependent children. Since its implementation, approximately 3,000 requests have been received in the first 10 days alone. It is yet another step that the government is taking to ensure citizens are happy and can be reunited with their families. Source:https://www.immigration.govt.nz/about-us/media-centre/media-releases/more-than-123-000-new-kiwis-in-a-year Changes have been made to immigration instructions to continue to phase out border exceptions in effect during the COVID-19 pandemic. These changes remove the ability to express interest in applying for a visa under the seafood processing worker border exception from 11:59 pm on 30 November 2022.
People who have valid invitations to apply will continue to be able to apply for a visa under this border exception. |